Linking machine



Aug. 29, 1967 F. w. BECK ETAL 3,338,193

LINKING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug 29, 1967 w K ET AL LINK ING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1965 Aug. 29, 1967 F. w. BECK ET AL 3,338,193

LINKING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 -l0.- 9 iljy i r I W 15 8 N I,

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Aug. 29, 1967 w BECK ET AL 3,338,193

LINKING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet &

Patented Aug. 29, 1 967 3,338,193 LINKING MACHINE Frederick W. Beck, 15 Knighton Lane, Leicester, England, and John K. Beck, Wigston Fields, England; said John K. Beck assignor to said Frederick W. Beck Filed May 21, 1965, Ser. No. 457,722 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 22, 1964, 21,154/ 64 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-25) This invention relates to linking machines, or linkers as they are usually called, for the joining up of parts of knitted garments such, for instance, as outer wear garments.

In particular, the invention relates to rotary linkers adapted either for stitching together such parts or for linking the same loop for loop. A rotary linker conventionally comprises, in combination, a rotary dial which is furnished with a circular series of radially extending individual points adapted to pierce garment parts and to support the latter during a linking operation, a needle arranged to reciprocate radially and work through the fabric or the loops on these points, and an associated looper movable appropriately with respect to the reciprocatory needle, the latter and the looper being cooperable to sew or seam together garment parts on the points. The head of the rotary linker including the dial carrier and the needle and looper sewing mechanism, is mounted upon the top of a pillar or column-type pedestal of a linker stand, the lower end of the pillar or pedestal being mounted on, or otherwise associated with, a base of the stand having associated therewith one or two seats for the machine operator or operators.

Some rotary linkers have the or each seat set in a permanent position and therefore stationary, in which instance the pedestal itself is made to turn freely about the rotational axis of the rotary dial of the linker and is equipped with means whereby the operator(s), seated in the stationary seat(s), can readily turn the pedestal and hence the head of the linker to a limited extent in either direction. These turning movements of the head are, of course, additional to the rotation of the motorized dial and they facilitate the placing of garment parts upon the points.

In other rotary linkers, however, the pedestal is permanently fixed on the base, and the seat or seats is or are capable of being freely turned about the linker axis at the will and under the control of the operator or operators. The present invention is concerned solely with linkers of this construction, and such a linker will hereinafter be referred to as a linker of the kind concerned.

In some previously proposed linkers of the kind concerned, the or each turnable seat is furnished with wheels or rollers arranged to run over the floor, a radially extending and suitably turnable link being provided to connect the seat with the machine framework. However, these linkers have the disadvantage that, if the floor is uneven, movement of the seat(s) over the floor is uncomfortable to the operator(s).

Moreover, linkers of both the constructions described above, i.e., with a turnable pedestal and with a fixed pedestal, and having two seats have not proved to be entirely satisfactory and the operation of a single machine by two operatives has generally not been successful since a drop of approximately 25% in the overall production of the two operatives has been experienced. This problem arises mainly with linkers in which the pedestal is turnable whilst the operators are stationary (the majority of present linkers are of this form); in such a case there has to be continual coordination between the operatives as to when the pedestal is to be turned and the linker stopped and started.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide, in or for a linker of the kind concerned, an improved stand provided with a single turnable seat or two such seats. A further aim is to overcome the above.

disadvantages which arise in previous linkers having two seats, by the provision in or for a linker of the kind concerned of an improved stand having two seats which enables the linker with which the stand is used, to be operated by two operatives at the same time 'with a high output.

According to the present invention, there is provided, in or for a linker of the kind concerned, a stand the base of which is provided with a vertical axle upon which is mounted, for free pivotal movement, one end of an arm carrying or designed to carry an operators seat.

According to an important optional feature of the invention, the base of the stand may be provided with a further freely pivotal arm which carries or is designed to carry an operators seat.

The two seat arms may be mounted on a single vertical axle. The inner ends of the arms may in this event be complementan'ly shaped; for example the inner end portion of one arm may be bifurcated and the inner end portion of the other arm may be of a reduced thickness and located between these forked end portions, with the axle extending through bores formed in the said end por- .tions.

Preferably, however, the second seat arm is mounted, for free pivotal movement, on a separate vertical axle which is provided on the base adjacent to the axle carrying the first seat arm. For convenience, when reference is directed hereinafter to a stand having two seat arms, the description will be confined to this preferred arrangement, but it is to be understood that there is no limitation in this respect.

The said inner end of the or each seat arm may ad vantageously be provided with a boss which houses axially spaced anti-friction bearings arranged between this boss and the vertical axle. Additionally, the underside of the or each boss may, if desired, seat directly uponan axial thrust component such, for instance, as an'axial thrust bearing including antifriction elements, e.g., balls.

In any event, the or each boss is manifestly of substantial dimensions and in particular is of sufiicient axial dimension to provide an adequate bearing for the seat arm which is required to support the combined weight of the seat and of an operator seated upon it. A boss large enough to house two axially spaced ball bearing races is found to be suflicientl for this purpose.

Conveniently, the or each seat arm extends horizon-tally outwards from its vertical axle for a short distance and then upwardly, with its seat mounted on top of its outer and upper end. Thus, the or each arm may preferably be partly of curved form.

Conveniently, the vertical axle mounting the seat arm or one of the seat arms is arranged to be in axial alignment with the rotary dial of the linker. In a stand with the two seat arms, the vertical axle carrying the other seat arm is preferably located a short distance from the axle which is in alignment with the dial of the linker, at a position towards one side of the base, conveniently towards the lefthand side when the stand is viewed from.

the front.

One of the advantages of a linker stand according to the invention is that there are no parts of the seat arm or arms in contact with the ground. I

As will be appreciated, wher a linker is furnished with a stand according to the invention having two seats, two operatives working the linker can move around their respective sections of the dial independently of one another. Thus, one operative can work on the section of the rotary dial close to the needle, i.e. over approximately one quarter of the dial periphery, and the other operative can work on the remaining three quarters of the dial periphery. For example, in round neck lmkmg,

one operative runs on the Whole of the slack course, as

linked. Thus, the three basic parts of the operation, viz.

(a) running-on of the slack courses, (b) filling-in of the garment fabric, and (c) running-on of the selvedge, are broken down into two co-ordinated work cycles. Tests have shown that two operatives working in this way on a linker according to the invention can obtain an increased overall output.

A further advantage of the linker with two seats is that it can be used for training operatives; a fully trained operative on one of the seats can teach a trainee seated on the other seat.

In one convenient embodiment of the invention, there is provided above, and spaced at a distance vertically from the top face of, the base of the stand a horizontally disposed platform upon which the operator or operators can comfortably place his or her or their feet, the upper and lower ends of the or each vertical axle being secured in the said platform and in the base respectively with the inner end part of the or each seat arm extending horizontally between the base and the platform.

Means of any suitable character may be provided to limit the turning movements of the or each seat arm in one or both directions. Turning movements of the or each arm to an extent of 100 to 150 are sufiicient. In a stand with two seats these movements may overlap.

In a stand with a single seat arm, there may conveniently be provided, in the space between the underside of the platform and the top of the base, a buffer which is provided with a face of relatively soft yieldable material adapted to constitute a stop against which one side of the said arm can make contact. Thus, this buffer limits the movement of the arm in one direction. If desired, this same buffer may be provided with two angularly disposed faces for contact with respectively opposite sides of the seat arm so as to limit the arm movements in both directions. Alternatively, the buffer may form only one stop, in which instance a separate stop may be provided to limit swinging movements of the arm in the opposite direction.

In a stand with two seats, to limit the swinging movements of the two seat arms in directions away from one another there may conveniently be provided, in association with each arm and in the space between the underside of the platfrom and the top of the base, a buffer which is provided with a face of relatively soft yieldable material adapted to constitute a stop against which one side of the arm concerned can make contact. The swinging movements of the arms towards one another may be limited by a common buffer mounted on the base.

The platform may have fitted in it a micro-switch which is arranged to be acted upon by an operators foot and is adapted, when actuated, to switch on or off a power circuit including the electric motor for driving the rotarydial and the needle and looper sewing mechanism of a linker.

The base of the stand may be equipped with a stabilizer.

Two examples of linker stands according to the invention will now be described with reference to the ac companing drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general perspective view ofa linker stand provided With two seats,

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the stand taken from the rear thereof,

, FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 2, FIGURE 4 is a cross section taken on the line IV1V of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is a general perspective view of a linker stand provided with one seat.

The linker stands illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4 and FIGURE 5 of the drawings each comprises a base 1 adapted to be bolted to a floor and provided with a boss 2 in which is fixedly mounted a pillar or column-type pedestal 3. This pillar or pedestal is provided at its upper end with a support bracket 4 designed to carry the head of a rotary linker which includes the rotary dial carrier and the needle and looper sewing mechanism. For convenience the head of the linker is not shown in the drawings since this is well-known. The bracket 4 also carries an electric motor 5 for driving the rotary dial and the needle and looper sewing mechanism. Secured to the pillar or pedestal 3 by means of clips just below the bracket 4 is a tray 6 arranged to support the parts of knitted garments being joined by the linker, and a start/ stop switch box 7 controlling the motor 5.

The base 1 is provided with a support block 8 which therefore being spaced "at a distance vertically from the fiat top face of the base. This platform is part circular at its front and is cut away at its rear to accommodate the pillar or pedestal 3.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 to 4, the upper and lower ends of two vertical axles 10 are mounted in the platform 9 and the base 1 as will be described later. Each vertical axle 10 has mounted thereon, for free pivotal movement, one end end of an arm 11 which extends horizontally outwards from its axle for a short distance in the space between the underside of the platform 9 and the top face of the base 1so as to miss the peripheral edge of the platform, and is then upwardly curved. Mounted on the top of the outer and upper end of each arm 11 is a seat 12 for an operator. These seats are turnable relatively to the arms and are removable.

One of the vertical axles 10, viz. that on the righthand side of FIGURE 1, is arranged to be axially aligned with the rotary dial of the linker. The other vertical axle is spaced by approximately 3 /2" from it and is dis-posed towards the lefthand side of the base as viewed in this figure.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the swinging movements of the arms 11 are limited to approximately to A buffer 13 attached to the base 1 limits the movements of the arms towards one another whereas the movements of the arms away from one another are limited by a buffer 14 and a pad 15 mounted on the support block 8.

The butters 13, 14 and the pad 15 are of a relatively soft yieldable material.

The horizontal inner end part of each seat arm is substantially increased in thickness and the inner end is provided with a hollow boss 16 of substantial dimensions.

FIGURE 4 shows the pivotal mounting of each seat arm 11. Only one mounting is shown, but both are the same. The upper and lower ends of each vertical axle 10 are located in complementary bores formed in the platform 9 and the boss 17 of the base 1. The latter is, it will be noted, hollow at its underside. Housed in the hollow boss 16 of each seat arm are two ball bearing races 18 which are spaced apart axially by a sleeve 19. The inner parts of both races are a tight friction fit on the axle and the outer parts are a tight friction fit inside the boss 16. The outer part of the upper race seats against a shoulder 16a formed in the boss 16 and the inner part of the lower race rests on a bearing piece 20 having a downstanding annular flange which tits in a complementary cut-away portion of the bore in the boss 17. The axle is screw-threaded at its lower end and carriers a nut 21. The idea of this arrangement is that, when the various parts have been assembled, the nut 21 is tightened thereby drawing the axle 10 and with it the races 18 and the boss 16 downwards. As a result, the inner part of the lower race 18 is forced against the bearing piece 20. The Whole mounting is therefore firmly located in position.

The axle is finally locked in position by means of a grub screw 22 in the boss 18 of the base.

Secured to the support block 8 beneath the platform 9 is a micro switch 23, the actuating element 23a of which extends through the platform and projects above the upper surface of the latter so that it can be actuated by an operators foot. The micro-switch is connected by wires (not shown) which run up the inside of the pillar or pedestal 3 to the circuit incorporating the switch 7 and the electric motor 5, whereby the operators working the linker can control the operation of the latter.

Turning now to FIGURE 5, here there is only one vertical axle mounted in the platform '9 and the base 1 and carrying an arm 11 which supports a seat 12. This axle is arranged to be axially aligned with the rotary dial of the linker. The pivotal mounting of the single seat arm 11 is of precisely the same form as that of each of the two arms 11 of the stand illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 41, i.e. as shown in FIGURE 4. The swinging movement of the arm 11 is limited by a buffer and a pad (corresponding to 14 and 15 in FIGURE 3) mounted on the support block 8.

Thus, as will be appreciated, the linker stand of FIG- URE 5 is of precisely the same construction as that shown in FIGURES 1 to 4 but with the seat arm at the lefthand side of FIGURE 1 omitted.

We claim:

1. A linker stand comprising a base, a pillar mounted on the base and adapted to support the head of a rotary linker, a fixed horizontal platform mounted on the base and spaced vertically from the top face of the latter, a vertical axle having its upper and lower ends mounted in the platform and the base respectively, an arm having one end thereof mounted for free pivotal movement on the axle and supported solely by the axle and the base, said arm extending horizontally outwardly from the axle between the platform and the base and then upwardly, anti-friction bearings arranged between the inner end of the arm and the axle, and an operators seat carried, by the outer and upper end of said arm.

2. A linker stand comprising a base, a pillar mounted on the base and adapted to support the head of a rotary linker, two vertical axles provided adjacent one another on the base, an arm having one end thereof mounted for free pivotal movement on each of said axles and supported solely by the axle and the base, and an operators seat carried by each of said arms.

3. A linker stand according to claim 2, wherein the inner end of each of the said arms is provided with a boss which houses axially spaced anti-friction bearings arranged between this boss and the axle on which the arm is mounted.

4. A linker stand according to claim 2, wherein each arm extends horizontally outwards from its vertical axle and then upwardly, the seat thereof being mounted on the top of the outer and upper end of the arm.

5. A linker stand according to claim 2, wherein the base is provided with buffers arranged to limit the turning movements of the arms.

6. A linker stand comprising a base, a pillar mounted on the base and adapted to support the head of a rotary linker, a fixed horizontal platform mounted on the base and spaced vertically from the top face of the latter, two adjacent vertical axles each having its upper and lower ends mounted in the platform and the base respectively, an arm having one end thereof mounted for free pivotal movement on each axle and supported solely by the axle and the base, each arm extending outwardly from the axle between the base and the platform, and an operators seat carried by the outer end of each arm.

7. A linker stand according to claim 6, wherein the pedestal carries an electric motor adapted to drive the rotary dial and the needle and looper sewing mechanism of the linker supported by the pedestal, and the platform has fitted therein a micro-switch, the actuating element of which is accessible for actuation by an operators foot, this micro-switch being connected into a power circuit including the said electric motor so as to control the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 336,220 2/ 1886 Farrar 297349 720,692 2/ 1903 Hawkins 297-240 1,391,222 9/1921 Van Fleet 248415 3,007,425 11/1961 Darandik 112-25 3,107,075 10/1963 Matthews 11225 X FOREIGN PATENTS 949,320 2/1964 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Examiner. 

1. A LINKER STAND COMPRISING A BASE, A PILLAR MOUNTED ON THE BASE END ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE HEAD OF A ROTARY LINKER, A FIXED HORIZONTAL PLATFORM MOUNTED ON THE BASE AND SPACED VERTICALLY FROM THE TOP FACE OF THE LATTER, A VERTICAL AXLE HAVING ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS MOUNTED IN THE PLATFORM AND THE BASE RESPECTIVELY, AN ARM HAVING ONE END THEREOF MOUNTED FOR FREE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ON THE AXLY AND SUPPORTED SOLELY BY THE AXLE AND THE BASE, SAID ARM EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXLE BETWEEN THE PLATFORM AND THE BASE AND THEN UPWARDLY, ANTI-FRICTION BEARINGS ARRANGED BETWEEN THE INNER END OF THE ARM AND THE AXLE, AND AN OPERATOR''S SEAT CARRIED, BY THE OUTER AND UPPER END OF SAID ARM. 